Changes

*''Other Names'': 沖の寺、沖山、沖 ''(Oki no tera; Okiyama/Chûsan; Oki)''

*''Other Names'': 沖の寺、沖山、沖 ''(Oki no tera; Okiyama/Chûsan; Oki)''

*''Japanese'': 臨海寺 ''(Rinkaiji)''

*''Japanese'': 臨海寺 ''(Rinkaiji)''

Rinkai-ji is a [[Shingon]] temple originally located in [[Naha]] Bay. More specifically, it was located about halfway down a long spit of land, which extended out into the bay and which had the [[Mie gusuku]] fortress built at its end.

Rinkai-ji is a [[Shingon]] temple originally located in [[Naha]] Bay. More specifically, it was located about halfway down a long spit of land, which extended out into the bay and which had the [[Mie gusuku]] fortress built at its end.

A branch temple of [[Gokoku-ji (Okinawa)|Okinawa's Gokoku-ji]], the name "Rinkaiji" literally means "temple beside the sea," an appropriate name given its location; that location also earned it a number of common alternate names, all incorporating the character 『沖』 (''oki''), meaning, roughly, "in the open sea."

A branch temple of [[Gokoku-ji (Okinawa)|Okinawa's Gokoku-ji]], the name "Rinkaiji" literally means "temple beside the sea," an appropriate name given its location; that location also earned it a number of common alternate names, all incorporating the character 『沖』 (''oki''), meaning, roughly, "in the open sea." The quays nearby were known as Oki-no-soba.

It is unclear when Rinkai-ji was first built, though references to it date back at least as far as [[1609]], the location "Rinkai," and the existence of a temple there, being mentioned in ''[[Kyan nikki]]''. However, a temple bell dating to [[1459]] is also associated with the site, indicating the possibility that Rinkai-ji dated back that far as well. The bell, known as the Ippon-gongen bell <!--一品権現鐘-->, is said to have been cast and hung at Rinkai-ji by magistrate Yonafuku and builder Hanagusuku. Lost in 1945, the severely damaged bell was rediscovered in 1954, and is now held at the Okinawa Prefectural Museum.<ref>Gallery labels, Okinawa Prefectural Museum, August 2013.</ref>

It is unclear when Rinkai-ji was first built, though references to it date back at least as far as [[1609]], the location "Rinkai," and the existence of a temple there, being mentioned in ''[[Kyan nikki]]''. However, a temple bell dating to [[1459]] is also associated with the site, indicating the possibility that Rinkai-ji dated back that far as well. The bell, known as the Ippon-gongen bell <!--一品権現鐘-->, is said to have been cast and hung at Rinkai-ji by magistrate Yonafuku and builder Hanagusuku. Lost in 1945, the severely damaged bell was rediscovered in 1954, and is now held at the Okinawa Prefectural Museum.<ref>Gallery labels, Okinawa Prefectural Museum, August 2013.</ref>